pastord writes "Joseph has already figured out that his father is favoring Benjamin over his other brothers just as Jacob once favored him. Joseph has exaggerated this favoritism in his own house to remind the brothers of how it feels to be set under their youngest brother. With the bitter flavor of inequality still in their mouths Jacob’s sons set off for home. Then Joseph hands his older brothers the perfect scenario for getting rid of young Benjamin and watches what they will do. Joseph plants his silver cup in Benjamin’s grain sack as a pretext for bringing him back. The brothers have their first opportunity to abandon Ben here, Joseph’s men do not try to detain them, just Benjamin. Nevertheless they all return to Joseph’s house an there Joseph demands Benjamin as a slave and releases the rest of the brothers to be on their merry way. But they will not go. Judah, the very one who sold Joseph to Egypt begs Joseph to take him and let the boy go free. It feels like a pretty extreme test of character. And hardly fair to poor Benjamin. Yet, what else could Joseph do? Before he could restore relationship with his brothers he needed to know whether they could be trusted not to turn on him and his children in envy over their even more exalted position than any one that Jacob gave him. I’m not saying that wee need to test people by throwing them in prison or lying, but I am saying that we should give those who have wronged us a chance to show they have changed. We should not just write them off.
Without Wax,
"
